There's so much already on a wedding 'to do' list, but if the impact of your wedding on the environment is somewhere on your list, then some adjustments to your approach might be all that's needed to ensure your wedding is as green as it can be. We might not like to talk about a wedding day as just 'a day', however ultimately it is just one day which can include so much food waste, decor that's thrown in the bin along with the plastic packaging, the carbon foot print of all your guests who travel to the wedding, and so much more.
The Earth loves you, love it back
An eco friendly wedding, green wedding or sustainable wedding seeks to reduce the impact on the environment as much as possible. With so many options available these days, a growing number of couples are choosing eco-friendly weddings, or at least incorporating some sustainable elements to their day. From green wedding venues, to sustainable decor, these tips might just save you some money while also saving the planet! If you're looking for an eco friendly wedding from start to finish or just some sustainable elements, these green wedding ideas will enhance your wedding day while giving yourself a big pat on the back that your celebration as been as sustainable as it can be.
1. Choose an eco-conscious ring
Your efforts for a green wedding can start even before the big day. One way of having little or no environmental impact is by going vintage. Rather than visiting your local jeweller, why not do a search for second hand jewellery, or search local auctions for vintage and unique pieces of jewellery. Just take a look at this art deco, 1930's ring currently for sale on Wilson's Estate Jewellery, just one example of the beautiful engagement rings on their website.
Perhaps you have a family heirloom that already perfectly matches what you want, or maybe it just needs a little tweaking to your style, you can even melt down the gold and refine it. Charles Alexander Jewellery based in Yorkshire recycle and remodel second hand jewellery with exquisite results! The photo below shows an art deco design they did using diamonds already belonging to the customer.
2. Eco-friendly Stationary
Stationary suppliers are already way ahead of the game compared to other sectors of the wedding industry when it comes to eco-friendly options, offering stationary printed on recycled paper, or using up cycled fabrics, leather and wood.
Save the bees and plant trees
A quick search and you’ll find plenty of options however one of my favourites is graphic designer Laura Likes. Her green ethos is absolutely inspiring, not only does she offer recycled stationary, there’s also the option to have stationary printed on seed paper which can then be planted and sprouts into flowers and supports the bees! Even the offcuts are shredded to create packaging which is completely plastic free, and her whole business is carbon positive as trees are planted in her name every month in the UK and across the world. On top of this her products also look beautiful!
A tip to save some money before the big day; use e-invites! This ensures it can’t end up in the bin and as so many people are already checking their emails daily, there should be no delay in RSVP’s. Your e-invite could be a quirky video, a link to your wedding website, or a photo of you both which could be printed for the older generation who may not be on the ball with emails and would still prefer a paper version.
3. Compile a list of eco-friendly items on your registry
This one may also just inspire your family and friends to be more sustainable aware as they browse your choice of gifts, which don’t have to be just limited to stainless steel straws and metal tea bags! The One World Shop, based in Edinburgh, source and sell sustainable and fairly traded goods from around the world with an aim to reduce poverty in poor areas through trading more fairly. Every purchase helps to make the world a fairer place and there’s so much choice including accessories, bags, jewellery, food and drink, skin care, hair care, décor, kitchen and dining, candles and so much more.
"Demand quality, not just in the product you buy, but in the life of the person who made it" - Orsola De Castro
A popular choice these days is also scrapping the traditional gift registry and going for a charitable donation instead. There might be a charity close to both of your hearts or perhaps you can leave it up to your guests to choose their charity. There’s also the option to mix and match with registry sites such as The Wedding Shop whereby you can have options of a donation to charity and traditional gifts for those guests who would prefer to buy you a gift.
Choosing a traditional gift registry shouldn’t be something to feel ashamed of however! But where possible try to include items from small and local businesses to help give back to what has been a very difficult few years for them.
4. Search around for eco-friendly venues
One big way to reduce your wedding’s carbon footprint is to choose a venue with a strong eco-friendly ethos. One venue local to the North East who go above and beyond are Baby Moon based in Guisborough. A campsite, as well as a wedding venue, the owners are passionate about the environment, with renewable energy, rainwater harvesting, and composting, they also support local businesses who also share their ethos. With the option for a woodland ceremony, not only will you have stunning photos, no energy is required thanks to only needing the beautiful sunshine!
Of course you don’t have to choose a woodland or tipi to be eco-friendly. Alnwick Gardens provides stunning spaces (The Garden Pavillion and Treehouses) for a wedding, and with their 67 acres of land and gardens, every aspect of what they do has been environmentally assessed with fantastic results. Click here to be taken to their information page on their sustainability and the environment.
The Earth is a fine place and worth fighting for
Other options for when it comes to your venue could simply just be choosing a venue that’s local to you and your guests to reduce travel needs, or although maybe tough to do, try reducing your guest numbers which means less people travelling and less people to cater for. This will reduce your costs or maybe free up some budget to splash out on other areas.
Finally, and perhaps controversial for someone who’s main business is décor hire, but look for décor already built into your venue and make the most of them! It reduces your costs and helps towards only having essential suppliers travelling to your venue. Yes I want business, but there are times when people have gotten in touch about their venue and my advice to them has been less is more!
5. Arrange eco friendly wedding transport
The bride arriving to the church or ceremony by car is perhaps traditional, and although it might look flashy for the groom to arrive in a super car, it’s not really great for the environment (or your wallet for what is sometimes just a very short journey). Sometimes there is no option, however if your venue is close to where you are getting ready, perhaps a short walk with your bridal party or groomsmen will make for some great photo opportunities whilst doing your bit for the planet. For your guests you could set up car pooling to reduce pollution or ask everyone to take public transport at a certain time as near to the venue as possible and then arrange a coach (think quirky double decker)
6. Are fresh flowers essential?
For a lot of people out there, fresh flowers are a non-negotiable, however freshly cut plants sometimes aren’t great for the environment, although there are ways to reduce their impact on the environment. If you do go for fresh flowers then try to work with a sustainable florist who works closely with local farms or grows their own flowers and will compost your flowers after the wedding. The North East is very lucky to have the amazing Pocket & Posy, ran by Bev, who specialises in working with eco -conscious couples by growing and arranging luxury eco-friendly flowers for weddings. Couples can easily put their trust in Bev to create gorgeous displays using seasonal British flowers.
Talk to your florist about seasonal flowers so that flowers aren’t being imported from around the world and therefore reducing the carbon footprint of your wedding. A gift to yourself could be in the way of using potted plants as centrepieces which you could then use in your home afterwards which will be a lovely reminder of your day. Just do a quick Google search of potted plant wedding centrepieces and they really do offer a beautiful alternative.
7. Ask family, friends and neighbours for donations
How many people that you know, or live in your neighbourhood, probably have a loft full of bits that could be useful for your wedding, probably lots! Don’t be shy to reach out to people whether it’s people you know or posting in your neighbourhood groups on Facebook. Some people probably have lots of things they think aren’t worth much so have held onto, and would be more than happy to pass onto someone so that it’s finally of some use. This could be in the form of bunting, fabric, decorations or even larger items like a gazebo that they’re happy for you to borrow for the day. Also don’t forget to check what you already own which could be utilised on your day, or buy decorations such as lanterns which you could incorporate into your home after the big day. After the wedding, try to limit how much is just thrown in the bin as it could be held onto and passed onto a future friend for their wedding, or donated to a charity shop.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
8. Sustainable Catering and Limiting Food Waste
You may not have much say on the meals and where their ingredients are sourced depending on the venue, however if you are able to choose your own caterers, ask who their suppliers are as well as how they source things like seafood. The more local they are then the smaller the carbon footprint will be compared to long distance or overseas shipping.
In a world where you can shop anywhere, shop local
If it’s not likely to cut your RSVP’s in half, and it’s you’re passionate about, consider a fully vegetarian caterer. You may surprise your guests on just how tasty vegetarian food can be, and plant based meals use fewer resources to produce and no animals will have been harmed in the process. For something non traditional but bound to please everyone, check out FlipnFast Crepes based in Newcastle. Vegan and gluten free, they support local suppliers for their ingredients and try to be as sustainable as possible, using solar power and biodegradable packaging.
Food waste on buffets is huge so try to opt for plated meals instead and if you do decide on a buffet, check with your caterer to see whether any left overs can be donated to food banks or homeless shelters.
It doesn’t just have to be about the food too. Look for wines that are sustainable certified, organic or biodynamic, and avoid bottles just based on how they look (i.e chunkier and more elaborate designed bottled take more resources to make).
9. Hire when possible to reduce single use items
So I know I previously mentioned making the most of the décor already in your venue, but if you do need some added extras, making your own décor can be a great way to personalise your day, but if it’s just going to end up in a black bin bag the following day then it might not be the most sustainable option. Instead look for companies (like me) who hire out décor which is the more sustainable route. You can also hire glassware, plates and cutlery and it’ll look more elegant than their plastic counterparts whilst also reducing waste. And sorry to any of my supplier friends, but avoid balloons if you’re wanting a true eco friendly wedding. Yes they’re a very trendy item to have right now, but even the bio-degradable options still take a long time to decompose and by that time they’ve probably already done some damage to the environment and wildlife. Instead why not opt for bunting, garlands or pom poms which are all much easier to make from recycled materials.
10. Edible Favours
Edible favours can also double up as place cards, saving you time and money on printing names on bits of cards that are just going to end up in the bin. Guests will also probably prefer an edible treat rather than some kind of trinket with your wedding date on. Another option could be to use re-useable jars and give each guest some home made jam, a hot chocolate mix and even hand-made soap (not an edible option though!)
11. Shop smart for your wedding dress
There’s a lot of outfits being bought for your wedding, your wedding dress, suits, bridesmaids, flowergirls, mother of the bride and so on. Hire where you can, which is mostly the route for the groomsmen if taken, but there are shops out there that hire wedding dresses and they may just have your ideal dress. Re-using a pre-loved or vintage dress is also a great option and will also be helpful on your budget. Bridal Reloved are a chain of wedding dress boutiques who specialise in high end pre-loved dresses and Eleanor runs the store in Morpeth.
There are also ethical wedding dress designers out there so do a little research and find somewhere who stocks wedding dresses by these designers. Finally, allowing your bridesmaids to choose their own dresses will make all of them super happy, but also will hopefully ensure that they pick a dress that they will likely wear again in the future (anyone else have a bridesmaid dress just collecting dust in the wardrobe?)
12. Choose carefully with your confetti
Venues are on it when it comes to confetti throws with most of them having strong rules on what you can and can’t use, after all, throwing rice, glitter and bits of paper around isn’t the most environmentally friendly thing to do to celebrate your marriage to each other. A plant based alternative is much more eco friendly and also prettier! Dried rose petals and lavender are a great option or alternatively grab yourself a hole punch and some leaves! Make them up in kraft paper bags which can then be recycled or offer your confetti in a large basket where guests can grab their own handfuls.
13. Choose an Organic or Plant Based Wedding Cake
Ask your cake maker if there's organic or vegan options and if they use local suppliers or fairtrade products for their ingredients. This will help towards supporting the local economy, environment, and the animals where the ingredients come from. Cherry Blossom Wedding Cakes specialise in plant based cakes and as an extra nod to the environment they also use recyclable packaging!
14. Book an Environmentally Friendly Honeymoon
Just like your eco wedding can start before the big day, after the ‘I Do’s’ have been said there are ways to continue your eco friendly efforts by searching for honeymoon ideas with a focus on sustainability. This doesn’t have to mean remaining in the UK and camping in the woods, there are many resorts around the world who work hard on sustainability. You could also travel to places where there’s the option to visit and help at an animal sanctuary, support a local environmental initiative like a beach clean up, or take a hike in a national park where the entrance fee helps towards the park and wildlife.
Friends mentioned in this blog (click on each name to be taken to their website):
Photography
Jewellery
Gift Registry
Venues
Catering
Wedding Dresses
Stationery
Florist
Cakes
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